OCTOBER 25, Zoetermeer, Netherlands – PTL Group held a seminar in co-operation with FME and EVD. The aim of this seminar was to inform Dutch companies about setting up production facilities in China. The event was attended by approximately 60 Dutch business owners and senior executives. Key note speakers consisted of Jan Hak, president of GMV-FME, Maarten Roos, R&P China lawyers and Zvi Shalgo, CEO of PTL Group. Facilitator Harry Starren, CEO of De Baak, was in attendance as the moderator of the seminar.

To further support the seminar, a report was published on the specific topic of "Equipment Manufacturing and Machinery in China". The report focuses on the opportunities for equipment manufacturing in China and the importance of the Chinese market for the Dutch manufacturing and technological industries. The report provides tips and guidelines for setting up production in China, ranging from business structure and employment to the sensitive issues which companies must consider when operating in China.

After Harry Starren gave a brief introduction, Marije Hulshof, Director of NL EVD International, gave an update about the opportunities for Dutch SMEs in Chinese markets. PTL Group's CEO, Zvi Shalgo, discussed the history of doing business in China, emphasising that earlier foreign companies used only to source from China. These days, they don't just source or manufacture in China but also sell in the local market. Zvi Shalgo also presented current trends, such as critical timing issues and incubation support models, as well as opportunities to benefit from Chinese government funds. He suggested that Dutch SMEs should consider incubation as their first step when setting up in China, and discussed the stages of establishing a factory in China. He also presented incubation concepts and critical considerations for choosing one. Maarten Roos followed by talking about intellectual property and concerns of foreign companies.

Following the presentations, there was a panel discussion in which key note speakers, answered numerous questions from the audience. The subjects discussed ranged from HR to finance, and other issues related to setting up production facilities in China. Once the panel discussions finished, there was the opportunity for companies to engage in networking, which provided a platform for all attendees to share and discuss their ideas about business in China.

Every company is unique in the face of crisis and will respond differently depending on the situation at hand. In light of China’s unique business culture, differences in recognizing corporate decline and approaching the associated processes in conducting a turnaround exist between China and the West. Foreign firms will need to recognize these differences and tailor their actions at different stages of the turnaround process to suit.

Spotting a turnaround situation

Although corporate recovery discussions and articles often focus on the latter stages of the turnaround process such as restructuring, a vital step towards corporate recovery is first recognising and acknowledging signs of crisis and decline, and subsequently deciding to take action and make changes.